It's Not Over
by nicfanz
Summary: Mickie James just got hired into the WWE. But in a dream, there lies a consequence- meeting her ex-husband Randy Orton.
1. Chapter 1

2005

Mickie James walked down the corridors of WWE Headquarters, staring at the huge building in awe. It was definitely different from her days wrestling in OVW. She stopped when she spotted a door with a gold plate that read 'Vince McMahon.' She hesitated nervously then proceeded to knock on the door.

'Come in,' a gruff voice said on the other side of the door.

Mickie turned the doorknob and stepped inside. She took a moment to examine the office. The hardwood desk was littered with folders and important documents. There was a flat-screen computer in the middle of it. On her right side was a large, black filing cabinet and each cabinet was labeled appropriately. They were on the tenth floor so the window behind Vince's desk offered a nice view of the outside. 'Wow,' she murmured in amazement.

Vince smiled at her reaction. 'Mickie James, sit down.' He gestured to a chair on the other side.

She nodded and sat down on the expensive leather chair. She suddenly jumped up and extended her hand. 'I'm sorry,' she apologized. 'How do you do, Mr. McMahon?'

Vince shook her hand firmly and grinned. 'It's okay. Now Mickie, I hope you understand why we called you here.'

Mickie shook her head. 'I'm sorry, I don't understand…'

Vince clasped his hands together. 'Well, I checked out some of your tapes while you were in OVW and I must say I am very impressed. Not many divas have your skills. The bottom line is I want you to work for the WWE.'

Mickie gasped quietly. Ever since she decided to be a wrestler, it had always been her dream to work for the WWE. Her idols, Mae Young and Sherri Martel, had all worked for the company. High school gyms and OVW were all stepping stones that would lead her to her dream. She never thought, though, that her dream would come this fast, this soon.

'So, what do you say Ms. James?' Vince asked, looking at her expectantly.

'It would be an honor to work for you, Mr. McMahon,' Mickie replied resolutely.

* * *

It was three days since her meeting with Vince and she was packing to debut at _Raw_ in Chicago. She slid open the door of her closet and grabbed a handful of clothes, tossing them into her suitcase. She turned towards her desk, planning to take her alarm clock with her, when she saw a picture that made her stop. She took the photo in her hand and slowly ran a thumb over it.

'Randy,' she whispered, choking back tears.

_2002_

_The door opened and slammed shut. 'Mickie! I made it. I'm going to the WWE!' Randy Orton exclaimed to his wife of barely six months._

_Mickie ran out of the kitchen and placed her hands on his shoulders. 'Are you serious?' She saw him nod excitedly and gave him a big hug. 'Oh my gosh, that's incredible. Congratulations. I'm proud of you baby.' _

_He gave her a peck on the lips. 'Thanks, baby. And I want you there every step of the way. I don't want us to be a apart for more than a day.' _

_She looked into his eyes, wondering if he was serious. 'Vince is okay with that. That is okay?' _

_Randy grasped her hands in his. 'I asked him and he said it was okay provided that I use my salary to buy your plane ticket. I happily agreed if it meant being near my beautiful wife.' He swept her into his arms and gave her a long kiss. 'I love you, baby.'_

'_I love you too, Randy.' _

Tears streamed down her cheeks and fell onto to the photo frame. She wiped them away quickly and placed the picture into the suitcase. She refused to revisit the past. She was not going to let old memories destroy her future. After half an hour she finished packing and turned off the lights. She slipped into her bed and thoughts of her new job filled her head with occasional visits from a certain someone.

* * *

Randy was in the locker room, putting on his boots for his match against John Cena later in the night. He saw Batista approach him and smiled. 'Hey, Dave.'

Batista leaned closer to the self-proclaimed Legend Killer. 'I heard a new diva is coming to the WWE. She is making her debut tonight and supposedly, she's very hot.'

Randy grinned at his friend's announcement. 'What else is new? Vince is always bringing in some hot broads every week with beauty and no brawns.'

Batista shook his head. 'This one is different. I heard that she's very talented, on the same level as Victoria and Molly Holly.'

Randy raised his eyebrow in interest. 'Really? About time. What's her name?' He grabbed his water bottle and took a gulp.

'Something like Minnie…no Mickie James.'

At hearing the name, Randy spat out his water which unfortunately landed on Batista's face. 'Hey man, what the hell?' Batista stood up and grabbed a towel on the bench.

'Sorry, dude. Did you say Mickie James?' Randy asked.

Batista nodded, wiping his face and chest which were covered with Randy's water and spit. 'Why did you react like that? Did you knock her up and leave or something?' Batista inquired.

Randy faked a laugh. 'Good one, Dave.' He grabbed his things and stuffed them into his locker. 'Gotta go. See you later.' Randy hurried out of the room and leaned his head against the hallway. He had to be on _Punk'd_. His ex-wife was coming here, tonight. After almost three years of not speaking to each other, they were going to meet.

_2002_

_After a couple of months on the road, Randy was glad that they could finally relax in their own home instead of a hotel room. He placed his long legs on the table and turned on the TV. The phone rang and he groaned, too lazy to get up and retrieve the annoying device._

'_I'll get it,' Mickie offered and he smiled appreciatively._

'_Thanks, babe.' He was enjoying some basketball game when he heard a loud squeal. He stood up, worried for the safety of his wife. 'Honey, is everything alright?'_

_Mickie ran out, a big smile on her face. 'I just got the best news. TNA wants me to wrestle for them,' she announced, jumping up and down._

'_TNA?' He asked in confusion, 'that wrestling promotion down in Florida?' _

_Mickie nodded excitedly. 'Apparently they saw some of my tapes that I sent to them and liked what they saw. They want me to start in two weeks.'_

_She saw his face and her smile disappeared. 'What's wrong?'_

'_You didn't tell me that you sent TNA tapes.'_

'_Well, I didn't think that I was going to get hired so I didn't tell you in case you got your hopes up. Don't look at me like that,' she said, folding her arms across her chest._

_His jaw clenched. 'Like what?'_

_She threw her arms up. 'Like I'm betraying you or something. It's not like I kept a deep, dark secret from you.' _

'_Well let's see…you auditioned for TNA, WWE's competition, without telling me and then you're breaking our promise. What about our deal to never be apart? If you sign with TNA, you'll have to move to Florida.'_

_She looked down onto the floor and he knew his words were making her feel guilty. 'I don't want us to be apart…'_

_Randy's heart leapt and he smiled, taking her hand in his, and rubbing it softly._

'_But I can't give up my dream. I'm sorry Randy,' she said softly, her brown eyes brimming with tears._

_He dropped her hand. 'So that's it? You're not going to even think about it. You're leaving, just like that.'_

'_That's not fair, Randy. You're making me out to be the bad guy. I supported your dream. I followed you to the WWE. Now that I'm going professional, you can't support me.'_

_He pointed his finger at her. 'Don't you dare!' he fumed. 'I have always supported your dreams and you know it. I was there from the training schools to the independent circuits. But you promised to be there for me when I got into the WWE. You said we'll always be together. This is not about just me, Mickie. This is about us! You're letting us down.' _

_She grabbed his arm, tears cascading down her cheeks. 'There can still be an "us." You can visit me in Florida on your days off and I'll visit you wherever Raw is. I promise we can make this work.' She looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to understand. _

_Seeing the hurt look in her eyes, he felt his heart clench painfully. But his pride did not allow him to reach a compromise. 'It's TNA or me, Mickie.'_

_She balled her hands into fists. 'I can't believe you're doing this Randy. But if you're making me choose, I choose TNA,' she said firmly, her voice unwavering as she stared him in the eyes._

'_Fine, enjoy your new job,' he remarked coldly, walking into their room and slamming the door roughly._

Randy slowly opened his eyes, exhaling deeply. He though he had left everything behind. But as always, the past caught up with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Mickie pushed open the door to the women's locker room and sat down next to a blonde who was tying her boot laces. Her platinum blond hair was covering her face and Mickie wished the diva would push back her locks so she could recognize her. Shrugging, Mickie unzipped her gym bag and began pulling out her wrestling gear. Suddenly the blond diva stood up and Mickie gasped. 'Oh my gosh…you're Trish Stratus!' the brunette exclaimed.

Trish turned to Mickie and smiled. 'I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met. You are…?'

Mickie stood up and extended her hand. 'Mickie James, Raw's newest diva,' she announced. 'I'm debuting in your match against Victoria tonight.'

Trish nodded in acknowledgment and shook the brunette's hand. 'Ohhhhhhhh…so _you're _Mickie James. I have heard a lot of things about you.'

Mickie blushed and grinned sheepishly. 'Good things I hope.'

Trish smiled. 'They tell me that you're very talented. I really hope I get a chance to wrestle with you.'

'Coming from you, that's quite a compliment,' Mickie gushed. She couldn't believe she was talking to the women's champion her first day on the job.

Trish put a hand on the brunette's shoulder. 'Well, good luck tonight. I hope you kick butt.'

Mickie grinned. 'Thanks.' She continued smiling as the women's champion made her way out of the locker room.

* * *

Randy stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Grabbing another towel to dry off his dark hair, he saw Batista staring at the television set. 'What are you watching?' he asked curiously, walking over to The Animal.

'Divas match,' Batista replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Randy rolled his eyes. 'Might as well watch paint dry,' he remarked sarcastically.

Batista turned to his friend. 'What's your problem? Do you have a problem with diva matches?'

Randy shrugged, putting his towel down on the wooden bench. 'It's always the same thing. Girl hits other girl, pulls her hair, rolls her up for the pin and ta-da, a two minute match.'

Batista shoved Randy's shoulder lightly. 'Man, stop being so sexist. They do have some good women matches. Trish is fighting Victoria right now.'

Reluctantly, Randy turned his attention to the screen. He saw Trish reverse Victoria's power bomb to keep her championship. As planned, Victoria proceeded to beat up Trish and was jumped on by Ashley Massaro. Ashley was clinging onto the raven-haired diva as if her life depended on it and it looked like Victoria was giving her a piggyback ride. Randy rolled his blue eyes. Could it get any more ridiculous? Victoria finally got Ashley off her back by throwing her onto the mat. Suddenly, a brunette rushed into the ring and began punching Victoria. Randy froze, his breath caught in his throat and he could have sworn his heart stopped beating. He knew exactly who it was. 'Mickie,' he whispered under his breath.

Mickie continued to punch Victoria and then knocked her out of the ring with a roundhouse kick. When Victoria climbed back onto the ring, the brunette hit her roughly with the women's championship belt. Victoria fell onto the floor with a thud and the crowded reacted wildly.

'That must be the new girl. Wow,' Batista said in awe, shaking his head. 'Brawns,' he commented, tilting his head, 'and she has a nice ass, too.'

Randy frowned at Batista's lewd comment and snapped, 'will you stop checking her out? She's not some piece of meat.'

Batista chuckled. 'You should talk. You're the one who never looks above Trish and Torrie's chests when talking to them.'

'Well can you blame me? Their chest makes up 90% of their bodies. Where else can I look?' Randy averted his attention to the TV and frowned. Mickie had never worn short skirts before when wrestling. He did not like how much her skimpy outfit was showing. God knows how the males in the audience must have loved the free show.

Batista licked his lips. 'I think this is the first time I have ever been jealous of a skirt.'

Randy grabbed his towel and smacked Batista on the shoulder. 'Why don't you concentrate on your match tonight instead of being a pervert?'

Batista rubbed his shoulder sorely. 'Someone's an ass tonight.'

Randy ignored his comment and walked out of the locker room.

* * *

Mickie rushed backstage, still feeling the high of her debut. She stopped to catch her breath and exhaled, hand on her chest. She felt a pat on the back.

'Good job, rookie.'

Mickie turned around to see Victoria smiling at her. 'Thanks, you were amazing tonight.' She meant it, too. Victoria was one of her favorite wrestlers in the WWE. Few had her strength and athleticism.

'You were pretty impressive, too. You really gave me an ass kicking.' Victoria winked at her and left when she heard someone call her name.

She saw Trish coming up to her. The blonde patted her on the shoulder. 'Nice work, Mickie. I loved that round house kick,' Trish complimented, grinning.

Mickie blushed and ran her fingers through her brown locks sheepishly. 'Thanks, Trish. It was so cool being part of your match.'

Trish wrapped her arm around Mickie's shoulder. 'Maybe you can teach me that move sometime.'

It took a lot of willpower to not act giddy around the blonde diva. 'Ummm…sure.'

'So, have you seen any of the Raw superstars yet?' Trish asked mischievously.

Mickie tapped a finger on her chin. 'So far, I've met you and Victoria.'

Trish laughed which confused the brunette. 'I'm talking about the guys. In case you haven't noticed, there is a lot of eye candy here.' Trish winked at John Cena who gave her a nod.

Mickie looked down at the ground so Trish wouldn't see her blush. 'I haven't gotten a chance to meet any of the guys yet,' she said quietly.

'Then you have to meet this guy. He's quite the ladies' man.' Trish grabbed Mickie's hand and led her down the hall. 'Hey, Randy!'

Mickie halted. Even a hundred feet away and with him standing against the wall, she recognized him instantly.

'Randy, I want you to meet someone!' Trish waved at the Legend Killer.

Mickie saw him slowly turn his head towards them. He looked at Trish and then his gaze immediately stopped on her. It was like time had stopped between them.

_2002_

'_Randy, don't leave,' Mickie begged, grabbing his arm that was carrying a duffel bag._

_Randy looked back at her, his other arm on the doorknob of their apartment. 'I'm going to ask you one more time, Mickie. It's me or TNA.'_

_Mickie continued to hold onto his arm, distraught. She felt tears slip down her cheeks and she bit her lip. 'Please, don't make me choose,' she pleaded._

_He stared at her and said solemnly, 'there shouldn't even be a choice, Mickie.' She saw his eyes begin to water and she knew he was also feeling the effects of their crumbling marriage. He turned the doorknob and gave her one last look. 'You'll be getting divorce papers in a few weeks. Then you can finally be free to do whatever you want.'_

_She watched him walk out the door and out of her life._


	3. Chapter 3

'Randy, I want you to meet someone.'

Randy turned to look at Trish who was waving at him. His gaze then set on a familiar brunette. Mickie. His ex-wife. The person who had been out of his life for over three years. The person who still haunted his dreams at night. He held his breath as he watched Trish and Mickie walk slowly towards him.

Trish was oblivious to the tension between them and gestured her hand towards Mickie. 'Randy, meet Mickie James. Mickie, meet Randy Orton.' The blonde moved her hand towards Randy.

Mickie stuck out her hand. 'Hi,' she mumbled quietly.

Randy shook her hand, his gaze never leaving hers. 'Hi.'

'Mickie is the newest _Raw_ diva,' Trish explained. 'She was fantastic tonight.' Trish looked at Mickie, grinning.

Randy nodded. 'I saw your match. You were great,' he said honestly, his blue orbs meeting Mickie's brown ones.

'Thanks,' Mickie replied half-heartedly and gave him a slight smile—the smile that she used when she had to put up with an uncomfortable conversation. Randy flinched inwardly. Though their relationship had ended on a bad note, he hoped that they could be civil towards each other and have a normal, decent conversation.

'Well, I have to go and change. You two stay and get to know each other.' Trish patted Mickie on the back and gave her a wink before leaving.

If things were not so uncomfortable, Randy would have laughed at that ironic statement. He rubbed the back of his head and shifted his foot. 'So…'

Mickie looked down at the ground. 'So…'

Randy sighed. This was not going well. 'How have you been?' It was a lame question but he could not think of anything else to say.

'Fine. You?' She looked up at him.

'Good. I didn't know you were interested in the WWE.'

Mickie tucked her brown locks behind her ear. 'It turns out that TNA wasn't the best option after all.'

At that moment, he could have said 'I told you so' but he knew it would only drive a further wedge between them. Secondly, he did not want to play the role of vindictive ex-husband. So he opted for the safe route. 'I'm sorry to hear that.'

She looked into his eyes, searching and prodding. He knew she was seeing if he was truly sympathetic or if he was being sarcastic. It hurt him that she did not trust him. Finally she crossed her arms across her chest and said, 'well, it wasn't a total loss. I had some good experiences down in Florida and made a lot of friends.' She gave him a small smile.

He nodded. 'That's good. I guess you made the right choice when you chose it over-' He stopped himself before he could say 'our marriage.' But it was too late. She cast her eyes to the floor and he knew she was hurt. 'I didn't mean…' he began.

Mickie shook her head. 'No, it's okay. I guess I deserved that. But Randy, if you expect me to apologize for going to TNA, I won't. I needed to break out on my own instead of being Miss Randy Orton. I needed to live my dream and I couldn't have done that if I was with you on the road.'

He frowned, feeling hurt at her statement. Was she saying that he inhibited her from accomplishing her dream? 'So you're saying that I held you back.' It was more of a statement than a question.

Mickie shook her head. 'You didn't but the circumstances did. And I had to change that. But Randy, I never wanted to leave you. I didn't want "us" to change. The biggest regret was not going to TNA, but how our marriage ended.'

Randy clenched his fists angrily. 'But we did change, Mickie. TNA drove us apart!'

She looked down and sighed, shaking her head. 'You still don't get it, Randy. TNA didn't drive us apart, you did. Your pride and ego were your downfall; if only we could have compromised.'

Before he could reply, a backstage worker yelled that his match against Cena was next. He turned to face her. 'I guess I'll see you around,' he said coldly before walking away.

* * *

Mickie watched her ex-husband walk towards the arena, where the crowd was in their seats, anticipating the upcoming match. It was funny. Every time, she and Randy had an argument, he always walked away. She should have been used to it by now, but it still hurt.

Looking down, she realized that she still had her wrestling gear on. She strolled back into the women's locker room and pulled her locker door open roughly.

Trish closed her locker and zipped up her gym bag. She must have noticed Mickie's unhappiness as she looked at the new diva worriedly. 'What's wrong, Mickie?'

Mickie gave the blonde diva a small smile, not wanting to divulge her whole personal life to someone she had just met. 'It's nothing. I'm just a little tired, that's all,' she lied.

Trish looked at her doubtfully but she just nodded. 'If you say so.' Trish put a hand on the brunette's slender shoulder. 'Listen, if you need to talk, I'm here.'

Mickie gave her a nod, grateful to meet a new friend on her first day. 'Thanks, Trish.'

Trish grabbed her gym bag and left the room with the sound of the door closing leaving an echo.

Mickie changed into her regular clothes of jeans and a tank top and closed her locker. She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. She knew she could leave since her match was already over, but she did not want to…yet. Instead, she walked over to where the TV was and pressed the 'power' button.

Randy was in the middle of his match against John Cena. He had Cena in a side headlock takeover, with Cena struggling to get up. Randy then threw Cena against the ropes and as Cena bounced back, hit him with his elbow. Cena hit the mat and an 'ooohhh' erupted from the crowd. A small smile cracked on Mickie's face. Randy always had potential and he had improved immensely from the last time she had saw him. Randy proceeded to kick Cena as the Doctor of Thuganomics held onto the ropes with one hand. When Randy was about to punch John, the 28 year old kicked him in the mid section and slapped his face. The crowd cheered as their favorite made a 'comeback.' But their happiness was cut short when Randy poked Cena's eye with his thumb and executed a neck breaker, which had Cena on the mat, holding his neck painfully. Randy bent down and lifted Cena's leg for the pin, but only received a two count before Cena kicked out. The Legend Killer then implemented a sleeper hold on the fallen champ. John sold the move and within a minute, his arms were limping and his eyes drooped. Cena slowly stood up and gave Randy a swift punch in the gut. After a couple of punches, Randy released Cena who bounced off of the ropes and got hit with a vertical leap kick by the Legend Killer. Randy went to pin Cena again but only received a one count from the referee. He pulled Cena up by the hair and was about to punch the WWE champion but John quickly pushed Randy against the ropes and gave him a clothesline, which sent Randy to the mat. Cena raised his arm up to signal that he was about to execute the five knuckle shuffle and the crowd roared in excitement. He bent down towards Randy and waved his hand in front of the Legend Killer's face. The Champ ran towards the ropes, bounced against them, and dropped his fist near Randy's head, which caused him to sit up in pain. Cena raised his arms up and pumped up his Reeboks. Randy, still dazed from the five knuckle shuffle, turned around and was hoisted on top of Cena's shoulders. The crowd cheered loudly as Cena implemented the FU and got the win.

During her time in TNA, she kept up with _Raw_ and _Smackdown_. She knew how popular John Cena was, how he attracted women and children to the shows. She knew his merchandise sold like hotcakes and he was the 'savior' to the declining WWE ever since The Rock and Austin departed the company. But if she were to be honest, she did not find herself impressed with The Champ. His skills were not on par with other top guys such as Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, and even her ex-husband. In fact, she found him a little uncoordinated and clumsy. She also found his rapper gimmick to be stale and corny. If she saw him on the street, she would think he was an Eminem/Vanilla Ice wannabe. Of course, she would never say any of this to his face as she does want to ruffle anyone's feathers, especially since she was a rookie.

She grabbed her gym bag and headed out of the locker room and down the hall. She got out of the arena and felt a gust of wind blow through her hair. She shivered and mentally scolded herself for leaving her jacket back at the hotel room. She pulled out her phone to call for a car but saw that it ran out of battery. 'Damn it,' she cursed in irritation. How the hell was she going to get back to the hotel now?

'You need a ride?'

Mickie turned towards the direction of the voice. John Cena stood next to her in his black Cena T-shirt and jean shorts, a black duffel bag hanging off of his shoulder. A camouflage cap covered his head and he smiled at her. Mickie scanned the parking lot and looked down at her phone. She knew she could not get a ride in the next hour and finally gave John a small smile. 'If you don't mind.'

John grinned and tipped his hat. 'Not at all. I'm always happy to help a beautiful lady. My car's over there.' He pointed to a black Ford Mustang.

Mickie raised an eyebrow. Top superstars sure lived a luxurious lifestyle. 'Nice,' she murmured softly.

Cena grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. 'It's alright,' he said modestly.

'I'll settle for alright,' Mickie muttered and followed him to his car. John unlocked the doors and walked over to where she was standing. He opened the door so she could climb in.

'Hop in,' he said, gesturing his hand toward the open door.

'Thanks,' Mickie replied with a slight nod and climbed into the Mustang. As she waited for Cena to get into the driver's seat, she turned to the side and saw Randy with an attractive blonde in his car.

'Are you ready?'

Mickie turned her attention towards John and nodded. She buckled her seatbelt and leaned back against the leather seat. 'Let's go,' she said and closed her eyes, the roar of the engine filling her ears.


	4. Chapter 4

Randy pulled his luggage through the Ohare International Airport. The _Raw_ roster was doing a house show in Las Vegas tonight and everyone was scrambling to get the earliest flight so they could see the sights before the show. Randy rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had taken Ashley back to the hotel after his match. By the time he had gotten back to his room, it was well past midnight. He did not sleep until two in the morning though due to a certain someone invading his thoughts. He had tossed and turned, trying to get her out of his mind. Finally due to exhaustion, he had slipped into a deep slumber.

He looked down at his watch. It was nine in the morning and his flight was scheduled for nine-thirty. He walked over to the carousel and placed his carry-on onto the conveyor belt, watching it disappear through the metal detector along with other suitcases and luggage. He saw a black duffel bag being plopped down on the conveyor belt and he looked to see who the owner was. 'Mickie,' he said in surprise.

She looked at him; her face clearly showed that she did not expect to see him there. He noticed her stiffen a bit and she plastered a smile on her face. 'Randy, hi. It's a surprise to see you here.' She fidgeted her feet uneasily.

He returned the awkward smile. 'Yeah, but we are on the same roster,' he reminded her. It was his lame attempt at being humorous.

She gave him a stiff nod and pointed her fingers to the left. 'Well, I'm going to board the plane now.'

'What time's your flight?' he blurted. He did not want to seem like some obsessive ex-husband that one would see on _America's Most Wanted_ or _Cops _but curiosity drove him to ask.

Mickie sighed. '9:30. Why?' She looked at him suspiciously.

He pulled his plane ticket out of his back jeans' pocket and showed it to her. 'That's my flight.'

She stuffed her hands into her pockets and said coolly, 'what a coincidence.'

He nodded. 'Yeah it is,' he replied in agreement. 'Do you- do you want to walk together?' he stuttered, rubbing the back of his head.

She raised a brow. 'Are you sure you want your girlfriend to see us walking together?' There was a slight edge to her voice.

His eyes darkened and he crossed his arms across his chest. 'What is that suppose to mean?' he demanded.

Mickie shrugged and looked down at her watch. 'I have to get going. I don't want to miss my flight.' She flashed him an affected smile and walked towards the terminal.

He ground his teeth and sighed in frustration. His ex-wife had to be the most complex, frustrating, impossible individual on the planet; yet he could not deny the rapid heartbeats that occurred whenever they crossed paths.

* * *

Mickie found a seat near a window and sat down, leaning back with a sigh. She turned her head and saw Batista with a grim expression across the aisle. She wondered what his problem was. The man never smiled and rarely talked unless forced to. Her vision of the Animal was obstructed when a body stood next to the aisle seat.

'This is the only seat available,' Randy explained as if he needed her permission to sit there.

She shrugged and turned her head towards the window. She felt him sit down, his weight on the seat causing a creaking noise. She heard him shift in his seat, until he got acclimated.

'What did you mean when you said my girlfriend would be jealous?'

She pressed her lips together and her jaw tightened. She had seen him with a blonde the other night and here he was, acting ignorant and dumbfounded. Instead of answering him, Mickie grabbed a set of headphones that were set in front of her and put them over her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught him sighing and she smirked.

Two hours later the plane landed. Passengers stood up from their seats and made their way to the exit. Mickie followed suit and got up from her chair, bumping into Randy's back as he got ready to leave. 'Excuse me,' she snapped in annoyance.

He grinned back at her. 'You're excused.'

Mickie felt irritation project from her petite boy and she closed her fists tightly. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that arrogant smirk from his face. Choosing to be classy, she pushed him aside with the back of her hand and headed out of the exit. She spotted the carousel and walked over, scanning the conveyor belt for her bag. A black duffel bag caught her eye and she reached down to pull the heavy luggage up, slinging it over her shoulder.

'Nice bag.'

Mickie turned to the voice of the compliment and to her surprise and discomfort, it was the same blonde that Randy had in his car. 'Thanks.' She gave a half-hearted smile and was prepared to leave when the blonde stepped in front of her.

'My name's Ashley.' The petite blonde with piercings in her eyebrow and lower lip extended her hand to the brunette diva.

'Mickie James,' Mickie replied coolly and shook the blonde's hand.

Ashley grinned. 'I know who you are. I saw you when you fought Victoria last night. You were great,' she gushed enthusiastically.

Mickie's brows furrowed and a confused expression was planted on her features. 'I'm sorry…who are you?'

Ashley slapped her head and rolled her eyes. 'Oh I'm such a bimbo. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ashley Massaro, WWE diva.' The blonde placed a hand to her bare hips.

Then it hit her; the blonde was Ashley Massaro, diva search winner. Mickie remembered watching an episode of _Raw_ where a bunch of girls were in the ring and it was announced that one woman would receive $250,000 and a WWE contract. Mickie remembered laughing with disgust at the contest. Giving a woman a chance to work for the WWE based on bikini contests and "boot camps" over someone who had talent and actually worked their way from the bottom was against everything Mickie stood for. When she had seen them announce that Ashley was the winner, Mickie scoffed but decided to give the blonde a chance to prove herself. After seeing Ashley in the ring once, Mickie was horrified. She was incredibly sloppy and weak. How the WWE could offer someone a contract with so little experience and skill was beyond the brunette's comprehension.

'I really hope we can work together,' Ashley said excitedly.

Mickie gave her a small smile. 'Yeah, sure,' the brunette replied with feigned sincerity. 'Well, it was nice meeting you Ashley but I have to catch a cab back to my hotel.'

'What hotel are you staying at?' Ashley inquired curiously.

Mickie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'The Bellagio,' Mickie responded with slight annoyance.

The blonde diva did not take the hint. Instead she widened her blue eyes and screamed excitedly, 'oh my gosh! That's where I'm staying too!'

'Great,' she muttered under her breath. She saw Ashley's thrilled expression and felt guilty for thinking ill of the diva. After all, it was not the blonde's fault that the WWE decided to hire bimbo women to be wrestlers when they belonged at Hooters.

'Let's ride together,' Ashley suggested chirpily.

'I don't think—' Before Mickie could finish her sentence, Ashley hooked her arm to the brunette's and dragged her towards the exit.

* * *

Mickie pushed him aside and squeezed past the crowded seats, making her way out the door. Randy sighed and followed her. He was about to walk toward the carousel when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

'Hey, man,' John Cena greeted.

'Hey.' Randy gripped Cena's hand and pulled him in for a hug. Though they were enemies on screen, they were good friends in reality.

'So you ready for the show tonight?' John asked, adjusting the chain around his neck.

'Hell yeah,' Randy replied, grinning. 'What better place to wrestle in than Sin City?' he asked.

Cena raised a brow mischievously. 'You thinking what I'm thinking?'

Randy smirked. 'That we're going to get drunk and hit the slots?'

'Hell yeah,' Cena repeated Randy's earlier words and gave his friend a high-five. 'Maybe we can invite some divas with us,' John suggested, winking at the Legend Killer.

The side of Randy's mouth curved into a sly smile. 'Who are you thinking of?'

Cena stuffed his hands into his jean shorts and began walking. 'I met this hot chick yesterday outside of the arena.'

Randy grinned. 'Blonde or brunette?'

'Brunette and her ass is out of this world.' Cena widened his hands apart and Randy laughed.

John slung an arm around the Legend Killer's shoulders. 'So,' he said, leaning towards Randy's ear, 'who are you bringing?'

An image of Mickie flashed in Randy's head. He quickly shook the thoughts away and turned to John, shrugging. 'I don't know.'

'Hey,' John said, pointing his finger up into the air, 'what about Ashley? I think she got the hots for you.'

Ashley had made it no secret that she liked Randy. Randy saw the flirtatious smiles and winks that she sent his way. He realized that those "accidental" brushes in the hallways were no accidents. And she had asked him for rides back to the hotel several times when she could have easily asked other divas. Randy admitted that she was attractive with her long blonde hair and lean figure but she was not his type. She wasn't…

Cena waved a hand in front of Randy's face. 'Hello? Anyone there?'

'Oh, sorry,' Randy apologized sheepishly. 'I don't think it would be a good idea. She's probably busy anyways.'

Cena grabbed Randy's wrist, stopping the Legend Killer in his tracks. 'What do you mean? Ashley is hooooottt. Who wouldn't want her?' John looked at Randy as if the man had three heads.

Randy rolled his eyes. 'Alright, she's hot,' he conceded, 'but she's just not my type, okay?'

Cena fold his arms across his chest. 'Well, then, who is your type?'

Again, an image of Mickie flashed in Randy's mind. 'I don't know,' Randy responded, shrugging. 'A brunette for one and someone that I can have a conversation with.'

Cena rubbed his chin with his fingers. 'Hmm…brunette, huh? There's Victoria, Maria…' Cena's eyes widened. 'You like Maria! I knew it!' John exclaimed with a triumphant grin.

'What?' Randy put his hands up. 'Me and Maria? She can't even string a sentence together.' It was true. Maria wasn't exactly the brightest thong in the drawer.

Cena narrowed his eyes. 'So you like Victoria?' he questioned in a doubtful tone.

Randy shook his head. 'I don't like anyone. Just drop it, okay?' He started walking towards the carousel.

Cena simply shrugged his shoulders and followed Randy. They grabbed their bags and hailed a taxi. They arrived at The Bellagio and went up to the receptionist.

'Randy Orton,' Randy stated, watching the woman type up his name into the computer.

'Okay, Mr. Orton, your room is 480. Here is your room key.' The receptionist handed him a card.

Randy thanked the woman and waited for Cena to get his room card. John turned around and held up his card. 'Room 376, one floor below yours,' he said with a smirk.

'Awesome,' Randy responded, giving him a thumbs up. They headed to the elevators. Cena pressed the '3' button while Randy hit the number '4.' When the elevator opened on the third floor, Cena gave Randy a nod and walked to his hotel room. Seconds later, the elevator doors opened again and Randy stepped out. He reached his room and swiped his key card. When the light turned green, he turned the door knob and stepped inside. The room was spacious with a king sized bed in the middle. A wooden desk with a small lap was by its side. Across from the bed was a cabinet which Randy assumed contained a TV inside. The curtains were closed so he flicked on the light switch. In the new light, Randy saw something that made him frown and a little bit confused. There was a duffel bag on the floor between the cabinet and bed. Someone was here. Suddenly the door opened and Randy grimaced at the piercing scream that filled the room.

* * *

Mickie wrapped a thick white towel around herself, preparing to take a shower before the house show at night. She opened the shower curtains and frowned when she realized that she left her shampoo in her bag. She opened the bathroom door and it took only a second for her to register that her ex-husband was standing in the middle of the room. Her gut reaction was to scream and she did.

She caught Randy sticking his fingers into his ears and grimacing at the high decibel. 'Will you stop screaming?'

Mickie pointed her finger at him. 'W-what are you doing here?' she stuttered in shock.

Randy lifted the corners of his mouth in irony. 'Funny, I should be asking the same thing. This is my room, sweetheart.' He held up his room key.

She glared at him. 'First, don't call me sweetheart. And,' she walked over and grabbed a card from her bag, 'it's my room.' She placed her hands to her hips and lifted a brow.

'Fuck,' Randy cursed. 'They gave us the wrong room.' He kicked the bed in frustration.

Mickie folded her arms across her chest. 'Well, I guess you'll just have to find another room,' she said with a smirk.

Randy frowned at her suggestion. 'Why do I have to find another room? Why don't you go find another room?' he retorted.

She rolled her eyes. 'For one thing, I was here first. And because I said so.' She stuck her tongue out at him.

The Legend Killer shot her a dry look. 'Real mature, Mickie.'

Mickie ignored his comment and waved her hand dismissively. 'Now, get going. I have to take a shower.'

Randy folded his arms across his chest, not moving an inch. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he replied unwaveringly.

'Well you're not staying here,' she shot back adamantly.

Her infuriating ex-husband held up his room card. 'This key says otherwise,' he countered with his trademark smirk.

Mickie screamed in frustration. 'I'm going to take a shower. When I come out, you had better be gone or else,' she threatened menacingly.

Randy held up his hands in mock fear. 'Ooohhh, I'm so scared.' He grinned. 'Have I ever told you how good you look in a towel?' he asked suggestively, licking his lips.

Mickie looked down and it dawned on her that she was wrapped in only a towel in front of her ex-husband. Blushing, she folded her arms across her chest. 'Pervert,' she muttered.

Randy rolled his eyes at her insult. 'C'mon Mickie, it's not like I haven't seen you in less. We _were_ married remember?' He gave her a pointed look.

She narrowed her brown eyes at him. 'Please don't remind me,' she uttered. She saw a hurt expression appear on Randy's face and she immediately felt guilty. She didn't want him to think that it was a miserable year of marriage. In fact, she loved being marriage. It was only towards the end that things fell apart.

'Was being married to me that bad?' he asked softly, gazing intensely at her.

She lowered her head so he could not see the emotions in her eyes. 'No, it wasn't,' she murmured. She felt him step closer towards her.

'Mickie,' he whispered, taking her hands in his. He lifted her chin with his finger and stared into her brown orbs. Before she knew it, he lowered his head and set his lips on hers. His lips were warm and soft. She resisted at first but soon melted into the pleasure. She felt his tongue probe her lips and she gasped, parting her lips to allow entrance. Her heart pounded and the blood coursing through her veins caused a roaring sound in her ears. She felt him grab her waist and pull her closer to his hardened boy. She moaned and as quickly, pushed him away. Randy stared at her, a confused expression marring his features. 'Mickie, what the hell?'

She touched her lips, which were now wet and swollen with need. 'I-I can't do this.' She ran into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind her. She covered her ears with her hands, trying to block the sound of his voice calling her name.

* * *

'Mickie!' he yelled after he heard the "click" of the door knob and he knew she had locked the door. 'Mickie, c'mon open up,' he coaxed. Randy sighed, running his fingers through his short, brown hair. He did not understand; one minute they were kissing and the next, she was running away. He was distracted when a beeping noise emitted from his pocket. He took out his Blackberry and saw that he received a text message from Cena. _When you're done unpacking, meet me at the arena. _Randy put his phone back in his pocket and looked at the bathroom door. He knew she was not coming out until he was gone and he knew standing there would not do him any good. With one last glance at the bathroom door that was the only shield between him and his ex-wife, he turned the knob and shut the door behind him.

When he left the hotel, Randy took out his Blackberry and called for a cab to pick him up. In half an hour, he arrived at the Thomas & Mack Center. Handing the driver a ten dollar tip, he grabbed his gym bag from the trunk and entered the arena from the back. Making his way down the hallway, he spotted Cena with his back turned; but Randy recognized his _Ruck Fules_ T-shirt. Randy walked up to the World Heavyweight Champion and tapped him on the shoulder. John turned around and grinned. Ken Kennedy, who had been taking to Cena, gave both of them a nod and walked off.

'I got your text. What's up?' Randy questioned as they began walking down the hall.

'Vince just told me that he wants to change our match tonight. Instead of a one on one match like yesterday, he wants a mixed tag team match,' Cena informed, stopping at the men's locker room and pushing the heavy door open.

'What?' Randy raised an eyebrow in shock and distaste. He hated diva matches and he especially hated wrestling with them. He thought they only got in the way and inhibited "real" wrestlers from performing a good match. He had wrestled in mixed tag team matches before and had to resist the urge to roll his eyes whenever he was forced to tag with his female partner. 'Why would he do that?'

Cena shrugged as he aligned his lock to the combination numbers of his locker. 'Who knows? Vince is Vince,' the champion replied as he pulled open his locker.

Randy rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance, sitting down on the bench next to John. 'Well, who are we paired up with?' Not that any choice would make him happy.

'I'm paired up with Ashley Massaro and you're paired with the new diva, Mickie James,' Cena notified, stuffing his bag into the locker and closing the door shut.

'Great,' Randy muttered, running a hand through his dark locks. Three years of separation and now it seemed as if they could never get away from each other.

Cena seemed to notice the dissatisfaction in Randy's voice and looked up at him. 'Don't be so down. I'm sure whoever your partner is won't be as bad as Ashley,' John comforted with a grin. It was to everyone's knowledge that Ashley wasn't the most skilled diva. Most internet fans dubbed her "Botchley" because she messed up most of her spots.

Randy wanted to inform his friend that his anxiousness was not from being paired with an unskilled diva, because Mickie was far from that. He wanted to tell Cena about his previous past with the brunette and how the past had came back to haunt him. 'John, can I-' Before Randy could get his words out, Cena was already standing.

'Yo man, we have to go film our promo. For some reason, Vince doesn't want it to be live,' Cena said, rushing his friend out the door.

The promo was quick and effortless. The backstage crew had informed the two superstars to talk about the upcoming match with an exchange of insults added in. When the camera man yelled 'cut,' Randy let out a sigh and grabbed Cena's hand in a handshake. 'Good job, man. That was funny how you said I looked gay with my signature arm pose,' Randy said with a grin.

'Well I loved how you said you were going to end my career in the ring tonight,' John responded, smirking.

Randy laughed and looked down at the watch on his wrist. 'We still have several hours before the show starts. Do you want to practice for our match? When the divas get here, we'll just fill them in on what we did.'

Cena nodded and the two men walked towards the entrance of the arena.

* * *

Mickie turned the knob of her shower so the water would stop running. Pulling back the curtains, she grabbed a white towel hanging from the rack and wrapped it around her petite body. She picked up a small cloth on the sink and wiped the mirror until the fog from the steam cleared up. She bent down and opened the cupboard, rummaging through various items until she found a red blow dryer in the back. Unraveling the cords, she plugged the dryer into an outlet and proceeded to blow dry her long locks. After she was done, she slipped into the outfit she had brought into the bathroom: a white tank top and denim skirt. Opening the door, she glanced at the clock on the wall and figured it was time to head to the arena.

The cab driver stopped at the arena and smiled cheekily at Mickie. 'That would be $15 dollars,' he said in a thick Indian accent.

Mickie pulled out her leather wallet from her purse and handed the driver two bills. She stepped out of the taxi and waited for the driver to unlock the trunk so she could grab her duffel bag. As the cab drove away, Mickie began walking towards the arena. Once backstage, she smiled at the superstars standing in the hallway who smiled and nodded in return. She reached the women's locker room and pushed open the door. A flash of blond appeared in front of her which startled the brunette diva.

'Hi!' Ashley said with a wave.

'Hi,' Mickie responded slowly, one hand to her chest.

Ashley latched onto Mickie's arms. 'Oh my gosh; did you hear? We're going to be in a match. Well actually it's going to be a mixed tag team match. Me and John Cena against you and Randy Orton,' the punk diva squealed excitedly, jumping up and down.

'Oh, great,' Mickie groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. She could never get away from that man. Mickie noticed Ashley's confused expression and feigned a grin. 'I mean, that's great,' Mickie said, attempting to sound enthusiastic.

'I know! I'm so excited. I mean I wanted to work with you but I didn't know it would be so soon. This is going to be so fun,' Ashley chattered happily, not noticing that Mickie was walking to her locker.

Mickie put her bag in her locker and closed it shut, her mind still on the upcoming match with her ex-husband. She figured that Vince wanted to pair her up with a well known superstar so she could gain more exposure and fans- but why Randy? She would rather work with John Cena at this rate.

'There you are. I thought you just…like…disappeared.' Ashley let out a girlish giggle and Mickie had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. The blonde latched onto Mickie's arm. 'C'mon, let's go practice in the ring.' Mickie let the diva search winner drag her towards the entrance of the arena.


End file.
